My name's Thomas and I'm 35.I became vegan 3 years ago and started bodybuilding last winter.My body (frame) is very thin :170cm for 58 kilograms (5.58ft for 127.87 lbs).I'm training myself at home 3 days per week with a bench, pull-up bar and a pair of dumbbell.

I know just about how to work, but I have some weakness with my food plan, I can't found how exactly I need in carbs, lipids and proteins, and I found hard to have full of proteins without fill my meal with tons of carbs, soy products and wheat gluten products, especially in thinking to EAA. I loved to see a food plan for my little body, I do 3x80mins per week bodybuiding and others days between 1-2 hours of cycling (around 12mph).Beside sport, I'm seated all the day. I found frequently this distribution for the day: 30% proteins - 30% lipids - 40% carbs. If I need 2000kcal it must make me 150grams of proteins, 200 of carbs, and 67 of lipids. But I can't reach the requested proteins amounts without explode the carbs amount (cereals and leguminous hav really too much carbs). With the nuts and seeds it's the lipids I explode.Last choice: soy, especially tofu, but I already eat a lot and I saw very often soy harms muscle development, but its seems controversial. What is your point of view with this food?

Well, I need a bit of help, and it's the only place where I can found it, in France people don't like veganism, especially in bodybuidling world, we're still in prehistory. I have a little body and I'm sedentary outside sport, people with them prejudices can think I'm thin because I don't have enough proteins because I don't eat meat, but it's just my genetic.

I don't think you need 150 grams of protein at a bodyweight of 127lbs. Others may disagree with me on that, but the most common figure I hear recommended here is 1 gram per pound of bodyweight which would put you at 127 grams a day. Personally, I think 2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight would be a max you would need, which is 116 grams a day.

But if you are determined to get 150 grams without raising your carbs/fat intake too much, you may have to take a protein powder.

The PhytoAthlete wrote:Welcome to the forum. But if you are determined to get 150 grams without raising your carbs/fat intake too much, you may have to take a protein powder.

Hello, thank you for your welcome and answer.

I'm not really determined to get all that proteins, I would just take enough without too much carbs and fat intake.It's really difficult to know precisely enough their needs.With 1 gram/pound, whether 116 grams of proteins, how many carbs and fat I had to take? I must keep my 2000kcal and thus raise my carbs/fat intake or I need to decrease my total caloric needs?There are a realist calculator somewhere? I really lack of reliable tools.I found this in French but it's totally crazy, it advise me to take 196 grams of protein and as many in carbs... http://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/201 ... alorie.png

Yeah, you will hear different percentages from different opinions or depending on what the person is wanting to accomplish. I personally don't watch my percentages that closely but instead concentrate on taking in nutrient rich foods.

But I think a general rule of thumb would be 50-60% of calories from carbs, 15-25% from protein and the rest fat, which would be around 20-30% fat unless someone is trying to cut weight and they may drop their fat percentage to 10%, but since you are trying to gain muscle/weight I don't think that is necessary for you.

So at 2000 calories at day that would put your calories from protein at 300-500 cals. which comes out to 75-125 grams of protein, 1000-1200 calories from carbs which is 250-300 grams of carbs and 400-600 calories from fat which is 44-66 grams of fat.

Sorry I can't view your picture on the computer I am on currently. (at work)

I have tried some of SunWarriors protein powder recently that they sent me as samples, I liked it.

The PhytoAthlete wrote:Are you asking if 2000 cal. will be enough for you?

I'm asking to myself, it's not easy to evaluate. Some years before to be vegan, in 2003, I reach 75kg (175lbs) because I ate too much and fat at my work for the lunch. Which was really too much for my size and bones. And it was only fat, except calves (thank you hiking ). Fat on bones, I never want to see that again.

I'm also in France (in the deep south, closer to Barcelona than Paris).

The appeal of protein powder is that it saves time: you spend less time cooking, and less time digesting.

Eating a huge stack of black beans is work --at every stage of the game.

I think there are two types of people who lift weights:(1) People for whom the main struggle is motivation (i.e., finding the motivation), and,(2) People who are already highly motivated, but who have trouble finding the time.

The time you spend cooking (and even digesting) needs to be considered alongside the workout itself. If you're vegan in France, you won't have the option of eating a high-protein meal in a restaurant; you're going to be relying on yourself for all of your nutrition (and meals outside the home will largely be meaningless snacks).

I just opened a new topic asking about (vegan) protein powders to buy/order in Europe (and France especially) earlier today, so I won't repeat that subject here.

A little annoyed because my family found me too skinny, so I ate a lot this last 2 mouth to silence them but I earned that fat especially on my stomach (increase to 57 to 61 kg and 14% fat)I have quite of margin (I'm 170cm), but that was stupid because If I look skinny it's just because I have very thin bones (I shown my kid wrists..) but Only way for me to look big without grass it's to gain muscle.61kg for 170cm with 14% fat. Dirt genetic .. Hear that I'm skinny with that paunch..

So, well I came back because with the return of the sunny days I found a good motivation (I'm an anxious person), and I don't want to look the skinny vegan cliche nevermore!

Today 20minutes before training I ate some fresh mixed fruits (2 apples and 2 kiwi), an handle of hemp seeds, and half a litre of water.I drank about one litre of water during my workouts.After my workouts I took 40cl of almond milk with 2cups of chocolate sunwarrior protein.3 quarters of an hour later I took my dinner: 100gr of red romaine lettuce, around 10 spinach leaf, 1 avocado, some yeast malted, chia seeds, lemon juice, a good piece of Essene bread, and some raw cookies as dessert.

Well, now I except criticism because I do it all the feelings (just helped for the workouts with 2 programs I adapted). I dunno for example If it's good to eat my bigger fat source (avocado) for dinner.

Last year I also lost motivation because I did not saw a body transformation after 4 months of training. But I made big mistakes: I ate not enough, I don't really increased the loads, and I made to many weeks off.. Autumn finished me.

Damns it's late, I have to sleep. I came back tomorrow to continue all that.

C.O. wrote:Welcome to the community here! Wow that sushi looks delicious, what is the tongue made out of?!

I am new to VBBF and this forum . I also live in the south-east of France (Provence) but also spend time in the northwest in Brittany. I have been vegetarian for 26 years ( for ethics) . I once was vegan, ( 3 years back in the end of the 90's). I have been tansitioning to a vegan diet for a few months. I am a trail/endurance runner but I also am into fitness. I have come to this site to share ideas, points of view etc. with vegan/vegetarian athletes from all over the world and also to find support amongst open minded and like minded people. People like you Robert, Derek ( and his little family), Brendan Brazier, Scott Jurek, Rich... are my inspiration.

I also thanks the VBBF team for giving us ( french MFA) the opportunity to share ideas with others vegetarian/vegan athletes and see that somehow our ideas and way of life are making their ways in France as well.